Stuffer for traveling cartons



I N09. 21, 1967 E. L. BIVANS ETAL 3,353,330

STUFFER FOR TRAVELING CARTONS ll Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed .Marchfs, 1963 ATTUF/Vfy STUFFER FOR TRAVELING CARTONS 11 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 1963 INVENTORS. Z. B/I A N5 JOHN H B'A/T I Arrae/vfy Nov.21,1967- ETAL 3,353,330

STUFFER FOR TRAVELING CARTONS Filed March 8, 1963 I ll Sheets-Sheet 5 JOHN H BEA/7 ATTOEA/EV Nov. 21, 1967 E. L. BIVANS ET AL 3,353,330

STUFFER FOR TRAVELING CARTONS Filed March 8, 1963 3 11 Sheets-Sheet 4L INVENTO f /6. 54 Eaer 4. 5/1/21/5 JOHN H BEA/7' Nov. 21, 1967 BNANS ET AL 3,353,330

' STUFFER FOR TRAVELING CARTONS Filed March 8, 1963 l1 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR5. 5455/?7 4. E/VA/V JOHN H BEA/7 ATTORNEY Nov. 21,1967 B'VANS ET AL 3,353,330

ST UFFER FOR TRAVELING CARTONS ll Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed March a, 1963 LINVENTORS 5/l/4/V5 JOHA/ H. BEA/7' ATTOE/VEY Nov. 21, 1967 E. L. BIV ANS ET AL STUFFER FOR TRAVELING CARTONS 11 Sheets-Sheet '7 Filed March 8, 1963 INVENTORS 25537 L. fi/VA/V' BYJOH/V H 56/V7 A 770E/VE) Nov. 21, 1967 E. L- BIVANS ET AL 3,353,330

STUFFER FOR TRAVELING CARTONS Filed March 8, 1963 11 Sheets-Sheet 9 INVENTOR5. 6256??7 L. 5/V4/V5 I I Jay/V H A/T BY I I Nov. 21, 1967 L. BIVANS ET AL 3,353,330

STUFFER FOR TRAVELING CARTONS Filed March 8, 1963 v 11 Sheets-Sheet 1O f! /4 4 A6. /4 F76. /5.

E. L. BIVANS ET AL 30 STUFFER FOR TRAVELING CARTONS Nov. 21, 1967 ll Sheets-Sheet 11 Filed March 8, 1963 w mwr 2 E N m v 5 d N. r

z 4 MW i United States Patent ()fi 3,353,330 Patented Nov. 21, 1967 ice 3,353,330 STUFFER FOR TRAVELING CARTONS Elbert L. Bivans, Glendale, and John H. Bent, Fullerton, Calif., assignors to Bivans Corporation, Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Mar. 8, 1963, Ser. No. 263,854 9 Claims. (Cl. 53'59) This invention relates to a stuffer for traveling cartons and more particularly to a device for inserting a leaflet into empty formed boxes as they are conveyed at uniform speed through a leaflet inserter station, on the way to other stations where other operations are performed.

The formed empty box may be received from a box setting up machine described and claimed in applicauts United States Patents 2,682,209 and 2,682,210 dated June 29, 1954. The patented box setting up machine includes a stack of collapsed box blanks, the machine acting to open the box and tuck in the side flaps and the end flap at the other end thereof, the empty box being ejected with the other or inner end open and with its 'side flaps and end flap projecting in the plane of their respective walls.

The present application discloses means for transferring the box from prone position at the outlet of a box forming machine to a vertical position in the conveyor, such means being described in further detail and claimed in oopending application Ser. No. 316,950 filed Oct. 17, 1963 for Drive for Uprighting Boxes, now Patent 3,306,422. The present application discloses a fully automatic machine wherein the patented box making machine operates in timed relation with the conveyor and with the leaflet inserter and also with apparatus at the other stations along the conveyor.

The conveyor includes a pair of endless chains, one of which has a set of spaced leading fingers, the other having a set of cooperating spaced lagging fingers with fingers of each set embracing one of the opposite sides of the box. Preferably the chains are driven by an improved sprocket described and claimed in application Ser. No. 262,654 filed Mar. 4, 1963 for Sprocket Drive for Carton Conveyor, now Patent 3,198,316, Aug. 3, 1965. The drive sprockets are angularly adjustable to suit boxes or articles of different widths.

An object of the present invention is to periodically insert a leaflet into each box as the boxes are moved at uniform speed by the conveyor.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cycle of movement for the inserter so that it moves with the box while the stutter is inserting a leaflet in the box.

A further object of the invention is to adjust the phase relation between the operating cycle of the stuffer and the transit of the boxes so that the stuifer will insert a leaflet either in the center of the box or in a desired section of the box if it is divided into sections by partitions.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved means for transferring a leaflet from the bottom of a stack into position to be operated on by the stuffer. A feature of the invention is the provision of an adjustable stop for restraining the leaflet stack from dropping by gravity while permitting the suction head to remove the bottom leaflet, an improved movement for the suction head being provided.

A further object of the invention is to prevent the suction head from removing a leaflet from the stack in the event that there is no box at the leaflet inserter station.

The invention also includes various other novel features and advantages as described and claimed hereafter.

For further details of the invention, reference may be made to the drawings wherein FIG. 1 is a plan view of a fully automatic machine, except that no automatic loading of material into the boxes is shown, this machine including the improved leaflet inserter for box conveyor of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view on line 2-2 of FIG. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 3 is a view looking in the direction of the arrows 3-3 of FIG. 2, showing an enlarged plan view.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view on line 44 of FIG. 2 showing the leaflet inserter in elevation.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view on line 5-5 of FIG. 3, showing the cam mechanism for operating the stuffer or plunger of the leaflet inserter, the plunger being in a lower position.

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 with the conveyor broken away, showing the plunger in elevated position.

FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view of the operating mechanism for the leaflet inserter and for the suction pickup for the leaflet.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged sectional view on line 88 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged sectional view on line 99 of FIG. 2, showing the operating mechanism for the suction head for the leaflet.

FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 9 showing the parallel movement of the suction head for the leaflet, the full line position showing the suction head in engagement with the bottom leaflet of a stack, the broken line showing the position of the suction head just before or just after picking up a leaflet.

FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 10 with parts in a different position, the suction head now being horizontal and about to deposit on a bridge a leaflet picked from the bottom of the stack.

FIG. 12 is an enlarged sectional view on line 1212 of FIG. 5, with parts broken away, showing the coupling for adjusting the position of the operating cams of FIGS. 5, 6, 7 with respect to the driver. All stations of the machine are driven by the same driver or power source. The coupling adjusts the phase relation between the cycle of movement of the stufler or plunger and the transit of boxes or the like by the conveyor, in order to stuff the leaflet into a selected part of the box, which may have a plurality of spaces provided by one or more partitions, to insert the leaflet in a certain locus or section of the box.

FIG. 13 is a sectional view on line Iii-13 of FIG. 2, showing the support for the lower ends of posts 50 and of FIG. 7 on the carriage which travels with the box, these posts supporting certain operating mechanism for the stutter.

FIG. 14 is a view on line 1414 of FIG. 13.

FIG. 15 is a schematic sectional perspective view of the vacuum control for the suction head for the leaflet, to prevent a leaflet from being picked up in the absence of a box at the inserter station.

FIG. 16 is a View similar to FIG. 15 with the parts in another position.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the power drive for the apparatus at all stations shown is derived from a power shaft indicated at 1, FIGS. 4 and 7, and is driven by a suitable motor not shown. Station S1 includes a box forming machine, for example, as shown in the above patents. A collapsed box which is formed by this machine is indicated at 2. The open box after being operated on by machine S1 is indicated at 3 and is in prone position, with its outer end 4 closed and its inner end 5 open, the end flap 6 being uppermost and extending in the plane of its Wall 7, the side flaps 9 extending in the plane of their respective Walls like 10. This box is moved to upright position by the suction arm 8 at the uprighting station S2 as described and claimed in the copending application referred to above, and as described later.

The sprocket is generally indicated at 11 in FIG. 1 and it includes upper and lower sprockets each driving an endless chain shown in 14 and 15 in FIG. 5. The upper chain 14 at spaced intervals carries a leading finger like 16, and the lower chain at corresponding spaced intervals carries a lagging finger 17. The fingers 16 and 17 form one set, which engage the opposite sides of the box and propel it along the horizontal flat bed 18 of the machine. Similar sets of fingers are shown at 19 and 20 in FIG. 5 and at 21, 22. An open box being thus propelled is shown in FIG. 1 at 23, 24, 25, etc., along the conveyor.

On leaving. the vicinity of the sprocket 11, the boxes are propelled along one side of the chains 14, 15 in a straight line on bed 18 in the direction indicated by arrow 26, and in the opposite direction by these chains at the other side of bed 18. A conventional double sprocket not shownis employed at the return bend 27.

In FIG. 1, station S3 indicates a leaflet inserter where a leaflet is inserted in the top open end of each box, as described and claimed in this application. The boxes like 24 and 25 thus each have a leaflet therein. At the other side of the machine in FIG. 1, at the position indicated generally in 28, the desired goods are packed or stuffed by hand or by automatic means, not shown, into the boxes. On arriving at station S4, the upright end flap is printed as described and claimed in application S.N. 316,959, filed Oct. 17, 1963 by applicant and August Kund for Printer for End Flap of Cartons.

At station S5 the printed end flap and associated side flaps are tucked in, after folding the end of the end flap, and the closed box is ejected at station S6.

Referring to FIGS. 3, 4 and 7, the power drive is driven by a motor, not shown, which operates the apparatus at all stations in timed relation. This drive operates bevel gears 63, 64 which drive a horizontal shaft 65 which carries rotating cams 55 and 56. Cam 55 reciprocates in a vertical direction the plunger or stutter 70, which operates through a gap 29 in a bridge 30. Plunger 70 operates -in timed relation with suction head 12 which remove a leaflet from the bottom of a stack 31 of leaflets in an inclined elevated magazine 32, see FIGS. 4, 10 and 11, depositing the leaflet on bridge 30 over gap 29. Cam 56 on shaft 65 performs 3 functions, namely it reciprocates bridge 30, moving to the right as seen in FIG. 7, at the same speed as the box, returning to initial position to receive the next leaflet on bridge 30 which travels with the next box, repeating this for succeeding boxes which are traveling .at uniform speed. The cam 56 also operates the suction head 12, as describedv above, and through finger 92 on bell crank 58 it oscillates a by-pass valve 43 FIGS. 15, 16 for the vacuum supply to suction head 12 so that this suction head does not pick up a leaflet from the bottom of the stack 31 in the event that there is no box below the gap 29, as valve 43 is held open by block 117 under action of feeler 163at this time.

To consider the vertical reciprocating drive of plunger 70 by cam 55, this cam operates cam follower 62 on arm 61 fixed to arm 51, both having a stationary pivot 60. Arm 51 has a spring 54 to urge follower 62 against cam 55. Arm 51 operates a link having a hinge connection 33 with its outer end, link 13 having a hinge connection 34 with and driving sleeve 66 around its pivot axle 35. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, bridge 30 has two members 36 and 37 spaced apart to form gap 29, the spacing being adjustable by bolts like 38 and slots like 39 as indicated at FIG. 3, FIGS. 13 and 14 also showing one of these bolts'38 in a horizontal offset of the bridge member being fixedto a flange 40 which is welded to sleeve 102 as indicated. This flange member 40 abuts a vertical post 75 which is welded to sleeve 102 and at its lower end has fixed thereto and to sleeve 102 by a screw 41 a parallel vertical post50. Post 50, as shown in FIG. 7, has a cylindrical .outer surfaceand forms a slide bearing for slide 69 from which the plunger 70 downwardly projects. Slide 69 has a tongue and groove sliding connection 42 with post 75 as shown in FIG. 7. As shown in FIG. 2, the upper ends of posts 50 and 75 are fixed by an arm 44 welded to the top of post 75 and the screw 45 which secures arm 44 to the top'of post 50.

Slide 69 is operated by crank arm 68 hinged at its upper end as indicated at hinge 46 and ivotally connected to a selected point along the curved slot 47 by a swivel or hinge connection 48, to adjust the stroke of the slide. The slot 47 is in an arm 67 fixed to sleeve 66 rotatably mounted on axle 35 which slides with bridge 30. Sleeve 66 is oscillated by link 13 having a hinge connection 34 at its lower end with sleeve 66 and a hinge connection 33 at its upper end with arm 51 as described above.

The oscillation of sleeve 66 by cam 55 reciprocates slide 69 and its plunger '70 from a position where the lower end of the plunger is above gap 29 to a position where the plunger is within the box to insert the leaflet therein, as shown at FIG. 5. The leaflet removed from the bottom of stack 31 by suction head 12 and being stuffed in the box is shown at 49 in FIG. 5.

Referring to FIGS. 2, 7, l3 and 14, the bridge 30 is fixed to and arises from a sleeve 102, which reciprocates 0n the fixed slide bearing 52. The bridge 30 includes an arm 103 having a yoke 104, see FIG. 3, the axle 35 in FIG. 7 being a bolt or fixed by a bolt indicated at on the yoke 104, arm 103 having opposite rollers indicated at 91 and 91, engaging the opposite sides of a slide support 90, see FIG. 6. The axle thus rides with bridge 30 and is supported at one end by the bridge and at its other end by the slide support 90, also preventing rotation of sleeve 102 on its bearing 52.

We shall now consider the various functions performed by cam 56. Its cam follower 71 is urged against cam 56 by spring 53. Follower 71 is on an arm 106, see FIG. 7, fixed to sleeve 72 which rocks on axle or stationary pivot 107. Sleeve 72 carries arm 73, its outer end having hinge 108 for crank 74-having hinge connection 109 with post 75, to thereby reciprocate bridge 30 on its bearing 52 as cam 56 rotates. As post 75 is driven, it in turn is employed as a drive for the suction pickup 12 and the finger 92. Accordingly, crank 57 has a hinge connection with post 75 and a hinge connection 111 with one end of a bell crank lever 58, the other arm of which carries finger 92 and also has hinge connection 112 with crank 79, which has a hinge connection 113 with the upper end of radius arm 80, which o cillates about stationary pivot 114. The suction pickup 12 is mounted at the outer end of an elongated arm extended at right angles to arm 76 to which it is fixed. Arm 76 adjacent its other end is hinged to the outer end portion of arm 80 by a hinge 81. The hinge 81 is in the form of a sleeve 81' which spaces arms 76 and 80 apart, the sleeve being held in position by abolt as indicated at 81 in FIG. 11.

As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, considering the outer end of arm 76 to ,be theend carrying suction head 12, its inner end has a hinge connection 78 with a radius arm 82, which swings on a stationary pivot 83.

The suction head 12 has a compound motion due to swinging on pivot 114 while tilting on hinge 81. The distance from suction head 12 to pivot 83 depends on the angle between radius arm 82 and arm 76, this angle being small and with suction head 12 at a comparatively close position to pivot 83 in FIG. 10, while the angle is larger, with suction head 12 extended farther from pivot 83 in the position shown in FIG. 11.

If an attempt is made to remove the bottom leaflet from the stack 31 at the time it is held against adjustable stop 59 by the weight of the stack and a follower, the leaflet would probably be torn. To avoid'this defect, the suction head12 itself is used as a means of taking the weight of stack 31 and the follower off thetbottom leaflet by moving the suction head parallel to itself as shown by the broken lines in FIG. 10, from a position where the suction head is in front of the plane of the bottom leaflet to a position behind that plane, whereupon suction is applied to attach the bottom leaflet to the suction head which retraces its straight line movement parallel to the axis of magazine 32 to a position where suction head 12 is outside magazine 30, thus moving under action of hinge 81 tothe right as seen in FIG. 10. Continued movement of 81 to the right causes arm 82 to swing about its pivot 83 in a counterclockwise direction which tilts arm 76 in a counterclockwise direction about hinge 81, suction head 12 moving counterclockwise and arriving at a downwardly facing horizontal position shown in FIG. 11, over gap 29, whereupon the leaflet it carries is deposited on bridge 30. The end of movement of hinge 81 to the right results in the pickup arriving at the position shown in FIG. 11, while the end of the movement of hinge 81 to the left results in pickup 12 arriving at the full line position in FIG. 10.

Hinge 78 swings from a position below a line between 81 and 83 in FIG. to a position above that line as in FIG. 11. At the start of the movement of 81 to the right in FIG. 10, 81 at this time is in a straigth line with 78 and the center of pickup 12 so that for a small counterclockwise movement of arm 82 from the full line to the broken line positions, the pickup or suction head moves parallel to itself as shown, at the start of its downward and extended tilt movement to the position shown in FIG. 11.

As shown in FIGS. and 16, finger 92 oscillates with bell crank lever 58 under control of its drive from cam 56 and in so doing oscillates valve 43 against the action of spring 84 to open valve seat 85 and by-pass to atmosphere the vacuum line 86 leading to the pickup 12, valve 43 being in closed position to restore the vacuum at the time that the pickup 12 is in position to pick up the bottom leaflet of a stack, if a box is in position under gap 29. If no box is in position, feeler 163 operates drive 116 to swing block 117 under valve 43 and hold it open to relieve the vacuum and render the pickup 12 inoperative to pick up a leaflet. The box indicated at 87 in FIG. 16 when arriving at the bridge 30, rides against rail 101 and 'actuates feeler or finger 103 against the action of spring 88 to operate the universal drive 116 and swing the wedge or block 117 out of the path of valve 43 which permits completion of the vacuum supply as described. The left side of FIG. 2 shows a pipe 118 connected to a vacuum pump, not shown, with a main valve 119 for controlling the vacuum supply to the vacuum line 86 of FIGS. 15 and 16. The arrow 120 in FIG. 15 leads to the vacuum supply pipe 118 in FIG. 2. The valve casing 121 in FIGS. 15 and 15, which carries the valve seat 85, has a port 122 to which the vacuum line 86 is connected, the port 122 connecting with the vacuum supply in pipe 118 and also connecting with a passage 123 which leads to the valve seat 85, this seat being closed at times by the valve head 124 on the by-pass valve 43, and being open at other times, under control of block 117 as described above.

As briefly described above in connection with FIG. 12, means are provided for adjusting the phase of the stuffer with respect to the transit of the boxes so that a leaflet can be stuffed at a described position or in a certain section of the box while the box and stuffer are moving at the same speed. FIG. 12 illustrates a coupling means for changing the phase of the stuifer '70 and bridge 30 as a unit with respect to the chains 14 and 15 and the fingers 16 and 17 carried thereby. In FIG. 12 the earns 55 and 56 are held in fixed relation by screws like 125, 126, these cams being mounted on a hub 127 fixed to shaft 65 by set screw 128. Cam 56 has fixed thereto bolts like 129, 130, which carry a coupling plate 131 which bears on a flange 132 on hub 127. The angular position of cams 55 and 56 as a unit on shaft 65 can be adjusted by rotating these cams and coupling plate 131 to a described angular position and clamping them by operating the nuts 133,

134, on the bolts 129 and 130. As the cams $5 and 56 are locked together, the proper phase relation is maintained between the carriage or bridge 30 and plunger 70, the plunger retracting at the end of the forward stroke of the bridge and remaining retracted until the start of the forward stroke of the bridge, regardless of the particular point at which the plunger inserts the leaflet in the box While the box and bridge are moving forward at the same speed.

Various modifications may 'be made in the invention without departing from the spirit of the following claims.

We claim:

1. The combination of means for conveying a series of spaced containers at uniform speed along a path, a bridge having a gap above said path, means for successively depositing a leaflet on said bridge over said gap, a reciprocating ram, means supporting said ram for movement from an elevated position above said gap to a lower position through said gap, and means for operating said ram in timed relation with the travel of said conveying means, and means for reciprocating said bridge and said ram along along said path, said ram being operative to insert a leaflet in successive containers while said ram and bridge are moving along said path with the container being stuffed.

2. A leaflet inserter device comprising a conveyor operating at continuous speed for conveying a series of spaced containers open at their tops, a reciprocating carriage having a forward stroke in synchronism with said conveyor, said carriage having a bridge having a gap, a slide bearing supporting said carriage for reciprocating movement, cam means for operating said carriage, an upright slide bearing on said car-riage, a slide for said last mentioned bearing, a ram on said slide mounted in posi tion to operate through said gap, other cam means for operating said slide for said ram, a leaflet magazine, and means for transferring leaflets from said magazine to said bridge over said gap.

3. A leaflet inserter device comprising a conveyor operating at continuous speed for conveying a series of spaced containers open at their tops, a reciprocating carriage having a forward stroke in synchronism with said conveyor, said carriage having a bridge having a gap, a slide bearing supporting said carriage for reciprocating r movement, cam means for operating said carriage, an upright slide bearing on said carriage, a slide for said last mentioned bearing, a ram on said slide mounted in position to operate through said gap, other cam means for movement, cam means for operating said carriage, an means for transferring leaflets from said magazine to said bridge over said gap, a drive for said cams and means for adjusting the rotary position of said cams with respect to said drive.

4. A leaflet inserter device comprising a conveyor operating at continuous speed for conveying a series of spaced containers open at their tops, a reciprocating car riage having a forward stroke in synchronism with said conveyor, said carriage having a bridge having a gap, a slide bearing supporting said carriage for reciprocating movement, cam means for operating said carriage, an upright slide bearing on said carriage, a slide for said last mentioned bearing, a ram on said slide mounted in position to operate through said gap, other cam means for operating said slide for said ram, a leaflet magazine, and means for transferring leaflets from said magazine to said bridge over said gap, said leaflet transferring means including a suction head controlled by said other cam means.

5. The combination of means for conveying a series of spaced containers at uniform speed along a path, a bridge having a gap above said path, means for successively depositing a leaflet on said bridge over said gap, a reciprocating ram, means supporting said ram for movement from an elevated position above said gap to a lower position through said gap, and means for operating said ram in timed relation with the travel of said conveying means, means for reciprocating said bridge and said ram along said path, said ram being operative to insert a leaflet in successive containers while said ram and bridge are moving along said path with the container being stuffed, and means for adjusting the phase relation between the said conveying means and said ram operating means to adjust the locus Where the leaflet is inserted in the container.

6. A leaflet inserter device comprising an elevated magazine for a stack of leaflets, said magazine having an open bottom, a suction head, means for operating said suction head to select the bottom leaflet from said stack and move it away from said magazine, in combination with a leaflet inserter station having a bridge having a gap, said operating means acting to deposit the selected leaflet on said bridge over the gap, a reciprocating ram, means supporting said ram for movement through said gap, means for conveying a series of containers at uniform speed in apath under said bridge, separate means for operating said suction head and said ram in timed relation with each other and with the travel of said containers, a vacuum supply for said suction head, and means responsive to the presence or absence of a container at said station for enabling, or disabling, said vacuum supply, said responsive means comprising a valve in circuit with said vacuum supply, a feeler in said path, and means for operating said valve under control of said feeler, said valve having a closed position completing said supply and an open position bypassing said supply to atmosphere.

7. The combination of (1) a continuously moving conveyor traveling along a path for conveying (a) a spaced array of open set-up containers, (2) an article feeding device having (a) an article support having a gap (b) a coopertaing plunger for said gap, and (c) means for feeding a Succession of articles to said plunger in timed relation with the travel of said containers,

(3) said article support and said plunger traveling along said path in timed relation with the travel of said containers, and

(4) means for operating said plunger for inserting one of said articles in each of said containers.

8 8. The combination of, (1) a continuously moving conveyor traveling along a path for conveying (a) a spaced array of open set-up containers, (2) an article feeding device having (a) an article support having a gap (b) a cooperating plunger for said gap, said (c) means for feeding a succession of articles to said plunger in timed relation with the travel of said containers, (3) said article support and said plunger traveling along said path in timed relation with the travel of said containers, and V (4) means for operating said plunger for inserting one of said articles in each of said containers,

(5) said article support comprising a bridge having a (6) said feeding means feeding a succession of flexible articles to said bridge over said gap, and

(7) means for reciprocating said bridge and plunger with a forward stroke along said path.

9. Stufier apparatus for traveling cartons comprising the combination of a conveyor traveling at constant speed, said conveyor being adapted to convey a series of uniformly spaced open containers, a stuifer having repeated forward strokes traveling at substantially the same speed as said conveyor and successively in juxtaposition with successive ones of said containers, means for supplying to said stuifer a quantity of articles to be stuifed in said containers, and means for operating said stuffer for said stuffing purposes.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 870,501 11/1905 Farnam 53232 X 1,824,378 9/1931 Smith 53--223 X 2,332,156 10/1943 Long 5359 X 2,821,826 2/1958 Stubblefield 53.120 3,049,846 8/1962 Jones 53-252 X ROBERT C. RIORDON, Primary Examiner.

R. J. ALVEY, Assistant Examiner. 

1. THE COMBINATION OF MEANS FOR CONVEYING A SERIES OF SPACED CONTAINERS AT UNIFORM SPEED ALONG A PATH, A BRIDGE HAVING A GAP ABOVE SAID PATH, MEANS FOR SUCCESSIVELY DEPOSITING A LEAFLET ON SAID BRIDGE OVER SAID GAP, A RECIPROCATING RAM, MEANS SUPPORTING SAID RAM FOR MOVEMENT FROM AN ELEVATED POSITION ABOVE SAID GAP TO A LOWER POSITION THROUGH SAID GAP, AND MEANS FOR OPERATING SAID RAM IN TIMED RELATION WITH THE TRAVEL OF SAID CONVEYING MEANS, AND MEANS FOR RECIPROCATING SAID BRIDGE AND SAID RAM ALONG ALONG SAID PATH, SAID RAM BEING OPERATIVE TO INSERT A LEAFLET IN SUCCESSIVE CONTAINERS WHILE SAID RAM AND BRIDGE ARE MOVING ALONG SAID PATH WITH THE CONTAINER BEING STUFFED. 